"You remember that large painting, the one they used to patch the damaged house next door to his, after the gales and floods? I found a corner of it torn off, lying in a field. It was damaged, but legible: a mountain-peak and a spray of leaves. I can't get it out of my mind."--From "Leaf By Niggle" by J.R.R. Tolkein

Friday, February 3, 2012

New Year

Some holidays aren't difficult to figure out your social events as a Numero Uno. Some are. The two that always make things especially difficult for me are the Fourth of July and New Year's Eve.

There are always a few party invitations for New Year's Eve, but I've been feeling particularly claustrophobic, so I decided it was worth a drive to Seattle alone to trespass on the noted hospitality my dear friends Luz and Cole always extend to me. They are one of very few couples I can spend time with who make me feel very much less alone. I don't know how that works, but they should probably give lessons sometime.

We had a mellow, cosy time. Cole is a brewer, so he had a batch of cider ready to "pitch" on the stroke of midnight, and he even let me do the honors. Cole has been reading 'Watership Down', so he dubbed it 'Fiver Cider', and we'll get together to sample it in May.

We're developing a bit of a tradition. I spent New Years with Luz and Cole last year, as well, and thanks to Luz's amazing Sriracha Popcorn, started a year's journey of popcorn experimentation. We made two batches over New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, exchanging notes, strategies, flavoring ideas, and enjoying the results. I was also treated to more evidence of Luz's gourmet cooking...Chicken soup and bread for New Years evening dinner, popovers on New Year's day breakfast, and openface avocado and turkey sandwiches for lunch.

They are renting a big atrium of a house on Capitol Hill. It's full of gorgeous North and East light.

And this is the view from their back porch.

We took a walk on New Years Day, with Cole's tutorial on pipe-smoking to be the "Never tried this" New Year's Day tradition. Funnily enough, we ended up on a 2 hour ramble of a park, a water-tower, and a plant conservatory with nary a digital device between us, not even a watch. Time meant nothing. Now that's a tradition I'd like to continue.

2 comments:

Props for trying to smoke a pipe! I saw a gentleman waiting at a bus stop, smoking a pipe and was reminded of how infrequently I get to smoke mine. Maybe when we enjoy the hospitality of the Booths, I'll pull mine out.

It was fun! I tried a cigar once with friends and it was gross...my stomach did not like it. Cole lent me one of his cleaner-burning pipes, and it was not bad at all. i don't think I'll make a habit of it, but it was fun to try!